It’s Getting Hot in Here!

Today was the day that I had my blood drawn to test my hormone levels. I knew that it was time to get my levels checked because of the number of “personal summers” I have been having… a.k.a hot flashes (although not the worst part of menopause, they do make things interesting). Nothing like sitting at my desk, in a nice cooled environment and then the next minute my blouse is sticking to my underarms due to the massive amount of sweat that is pouring out of me. You know, just those lovely “I no longer have a uterus or ovaries” side effects. I was ready to take my car into the shop and complain about how inefficiently my AC was functioning, but I figured I should get me checked out first, because maybe, just maybe it is not the car?

No big deal right, people, many people, deal with menopause and her horrid symptoms. The other symptom that is creeping up is my irritability. Yesterday I was feisty and sassy, much more than normal, which also told me that my numbers are dipping. I think I speak for a number of individuals (family, co-workers, random people I don’t ram with my shopping cart while out getting groceries for the family) when I say that I have been quite pleasant lately, and it is much easier to notice these subtle changes when you are working with a good track record. Previously, I was pretty witchy and you never knew if it was hormones or just me. But now, it is much easier to tell. So last night when there was crying at the dinner table, it was a clear sign that someone was due to get her levels checked.

It will take about a week for me to find out where my levels are. I will start calling the doctor next Thursday morning to pester them. I think sometimes my doctors forget that I am a VIP (very important patient) and I need to be treated that way. I require that phone calls are returned in a swift manner and I am used to getting squeezed into no existent appointment slots because of how important I am… But seriously, when my hormone levels start to drop, I am a ticking time bomb. It starts with the sweating, then the irritability, there’s the anxiety, followed by depression, and honestly, I don’t have time for all that hog wash. I want to know what my levels are, then I want to get scheduled for an appointment and I want my refill via the pellet that is my saving grace and I will be good for 2.75 months. Is this too much to ask?

Yet, I am going to ask for more. Last time I had my refill, we experimented with a higher dose to see if we could get me to last longer as these pellets, well ladies and gents, they are not cheap. I spend several hundred dollars that is not billable to the insurance company to get these little wonder pills inserted into my upper buttocks. Not complaining as they have been a life saver, but why do all the really good treatments cost so much and why don’t the insurance companies want to cover them? Do they not realize what it’s like to be menopausal? Do they not understand that this is a pill that helps make our lives liveable? It’s not an unnecessary treatment, this is like life or death. And for some people, like myself, I tried the oral applications of the medications and my body did not absorb them and I was a seriously unhappy, sad, miserable, depressed lump. But I digress…

Three months back with the larger dose, my mental health went all out of whack. I dealt with mania like there was something fierce. Hallucinations were in full swing and I was steps away from chopping off all my hair, dying it blonde and continuing on a massive spending spree. The result of this experiment was that we had to increase my antipsychotic meds which caused me to gain ten pounds. So, yeah, totally hoping that this time I don’t get launched into orbit post pellet insertion.

I added a note on my calendar to call the doctor on Thursday to follow up on my blood work. While I wait I will be fanning myself…

It’s what it feels like for sure! I think I am lucky that I don’t have it too bad and that I live in a warm climate area so it is common for people to sweat…. plus I get to wear no sleeves most days so that is a life saver!